Single-payer is matter of justice

While details regarding the transition to a single-payer health care system remain, we cannot forget the benefits of these changes. The Vermont Republican State Committee resolved that Vermont’s health care exchange should be optional and provide more insurance options. While the traditional arguments of market-based health care are present, the abuse of Vermont citizens by insurance companies remains unquestioned. Not only are current health insurance costs unaffordable, but it is essential that all Vermonters have equitable access to health benefits. For-profit health care is not only immoral but also unsustainable. With a single-payer system, Vermonters can ensure affordability, transparency and mandatory coverage for essential benefits, including dental care, which 70,000 adult Vermonters currently can’t afford. Private insurance companies are unnecessary middlemen in our health care system, and a transition to single-payer is the solution needed to remedy these injustices. By democratically working with our state representatives, we can ensure the transition to a single-payer health care system is completed with as few petty objections as possible. The United States remains the only developed nation with privatized health care, and we must continue leading our country toward a public, more equitable, system.